The present invention refers to a valve block, and in particular to a valve block for aggressive fluids and/or fluids at increased temperature.
In the biotechnological field, pharmaceutical field or medical field, the use of diaphragm valves made of plastic material is frequently proposed to meet standards with regard to chemical and thermal resistance. The provision of a suitable fluidic control with several valves which communicate with each other and are combined to form a valve block requires a connection of the individual valves to each other via hoses or tubes. Such a design results in a complicated assembly and pipe work and in numerous joints which increase the risk of leakages. Also, problems have been encountered with regard to temperature resistance especially when it comes to thermal sterilization.
It was also proposed to machine not only the plurality of valves or valve seats in the valve block but also the passageways via which the valves communicate with each other. Even though the number of joints or connections is reduced thereby, the machining process is still complicated and results in increased use of material and thus in a high weight. Moreover, the provision of integrated valve seats leads to increased amount of scrap, and a malfunction of a single valve requires replacement of the entire valve block. This is not only time consuming but results also in high costs for spare parts.